Sheet catching and stacking device for a printing press



June 11, 1957 RQQNEY, JR 2,795,420

SHEET CATCHING AND STACKING DEVICE FOR A PRINTING PRESS Filed Nov. 3, 1954 s Sheets-Sheet 1 I IN VEN TOR. ;i GEORGE IFROQ/VEX JR.

June 11, 1957 RQQNEY, JR 2,795,420

SHEET CATCHING AND STACKING DEVICE FOR A PRINTING PRESS Filed Nov. 3, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 NIWWM IIIWH 37 GEORGE E Poo/v5): JR.

INVENTOR.

' l 33 BY 32 1 9/ June 11,1957 s. F. ROONEY, JR 2,795,420

SHEET CATCHING AND STACKING DEVICE FOR A PRINTING PRESS Filed Nov. 3, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INV EN TOR.

GEORGE E Roan/Ex JR.

SHEET CATCHING AND STACKING DEVICE FOR A PRINTING PRESS George F. Rooney, IL, Cincinnati, Ohio Application November 3, 1954, Serial No. 466,606

6 Claims. (Cl. 27188) This invention relates to a mechanism-for stopping, catching, and stacking printed sheets and the like as delivered by a printing press or the like.

An object of this invention is to provide a device for stopping, catching, and stacking sheets in a neat pile on a board or the like, as the sheets are delivered by a press.

A further object of this invention is to provide a device as above set forth that so co-acts with a sheet-supporting board as it is being inserted into sheet-receiving position, that each sheet is stopped, caught, and stacked while the board is being inserted, thereby avoiding discontinuity in the sheet stacking operation when boards are changed.

A further object of this invention is to provide a device as above set forth, having a sheet stop member which normally extends below the level at which a sheetcatching board is inserted, the device being provided with a member attached to the lower end of the stop having a cam surface that is engaged by and rides on a board being inserted, for lifting the lower end of the sheet stop member above the surface of the board.

A furthr object of this invention is to provide a sheet catching device of this type having a crank member which engages the board as the board is inserted, which crank assists in raising the sheet stop member above the surface of the board.

A further object of this invention is to provide sheet stop members and side guide members at the discharge or delivery end of a press, which are so constructed that they will be elevated to rest on a sheet-catching board when the board is being inserted into sheet-receiving position.

The above and other objects and features of the invention will in part be apparent and will in part be obvious to those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains, from the following detailed description, and the drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a somewhat schematic plan view of the delivery end of a printing press on which are mounted sheet stop members constructed in accordance with an embodiment of this invention;

Fig. 2. is a view in section taken along the line 11-11 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a partial view in end elevation showing the sheet delivery end of the press illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged view in side elevation of one of the sheet stop members mounted on the press, one of the frame members of the press and a portion of a sheetcatching board and a stack of sheets being shown in connection therewith;

Fig. 5 is a view in side elevation of the sheet stop member of Fig. 4 in association with a sheet-catching board which has been partially inserted into sheet-catching position;

Fig. 6 is a view in side elevation of the sheet stop member in association with a sheet-holding board which United States Patent has just been inserted into sheet-catching position;

Fig. 7 is a plan view of the sheet stop member;

Fig. 8 is a view in side elevation showing a sheet stop member constructed in accordance with another embodiment of the invention; and

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary view of a sheet stop member constructed in accordance with a further embodiment of the invention.

In the following detailed description, and the drawings, like reference characters indicate like parts.

In Figs. 1 and 2, a printing press 10 is shown which is of the type that delivers printed sheets 12 to a sheet-receiving section 13. As the sheets are delivered, the sheets come into contact with a stop and sheet-catching device indicated generally at 14. The sheet stop 14 positions the sheets one on the other, thereby piling them in a neat stack 16.

Stacks of sheets 16 are formed on sheet-receiving boards 17. When a sufficiently large number of sheets has been stacked upon one of the boards 17, board-supporting members 18 are placed at the four corners of that board on which members 18 another board is placed. Since the operation of the press 10 is continuous, each new board must be inserted without substantial dislocation of the discharged sheets and without interruption of the operation of the press. A new board 17a is slid into place on board-holding angle-shaped members 19 (see Fig. 3). Board 17a is pushed into place on the angle members 19, and, as the board approaches sheetreceiving position, the sheet stop members 14 are elevated above the board; however, members 14 remain in shee -catching position.

Details of construction of one of the members 14 are shown in Figs. 4-7 inclusive. The sheet stop 14 includes a support 21 of substantially cross-shape, as illustrated in Figs. 4-6 inclusive, which includes a mounting arm 22 having spaced upright openings 23 therein. The openings 23 receive the legs of a U-bolt 24. The U-bolt 24 fits around one of the frame members 26 of the printing press and clamps the support 21 to the frame member 26. A guide arm 27 of support 21 carries a tube 28, through which a member 29 extends, the member 29 being movable vertically in tube 28. The member 29, in turn, carries an upright sheet stop member 31 against which the sheets are discharged as they are delivered from the printing press. The lower end of the member 31 is provided with a cam surface 32 which, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, can ride .on the top of a board 17 as a board is placed in sheet-receiving position.

As the board 17 is slipped into sheet-receiving position, it engages the cam surface, whereby the sheet stop member 31 is raised or elevated above the face of the board. A crank 32' is provided to facilitate raising of the sheet stop member 31. The crank 32 includes a board-engaging arm 33 and a sheet stop elevating arm 34. The arms 33 and 34 are connected together at substantially right angles to each other. The crank 32' is pivotally mounted on an arm 36 of the support 21 by a pivot pin 37. As

. the board 17 is slipped into position, theboard engages the arm 33 and turns the crank 32' clockwise, as shown in Figs. 4-6 inclusive. The crank arm 34 engages a lug 38 attached to the sheet stop member 31. As the crank turns clockwise, the sheet stop member 31 is raised by the crank arm 34. During the final travel of the board '17, the leading edge of the board engages cam surface 32 whereby stop 31 is elevated to a level where the lug 38 is above the crank arm 34, as shown in Fig. 6.

When the board has reached the sheet-receiving position, the corner pieces 18 are placed upon the lower board, as stated supra. Board-holding and supporting chains 41 (see Figs. 1 and 2) may then be operated to raise the lower board or boards to a position where'corner pieces engage the bottom of the newly inserted board. The chains are operated until the newly inserted board has been lifted off the flanges of the board holders 19. The board-holding flange members 19 may now be retracted from the position shown in full lines in Fig. 3 to the position shown in dot-dash lines. After the boardholding members 19 have been retracted, the chains may be operated in a normal manner to lower the boards and the stacks of sheets thereon. The lower end of the sheet stop member 31 remains below the level of the most recently discharged sheets, and the board descends to below the lower end of the sheet stop member 31. When the board is in this position, the crank 32 hangs in the position shown in Figs. 2 and 4, because crank arm 34 engages a stop lug 41a. The lug 41a is mounted on sheet 7 stop member 31 and holds the crank in a cocked position,

as shown, ready for the next use thereof.

As shown in Fig. 7, the body of the sheet-catching member may be formed of two sections 21a and 21b. The sections 21a and 2111 are held together by through bolts 42. A plurality of bolt holes is provided for the bolts 42 so that, if desired, the section 21b may be adjusted to various positions with reference to press frame member 26 such as the position shown in full lines, and the position shown in dot-dash lines in Fig. 7.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the printing press 16 is provided with side guides 44 and spring rear guides 46. The side guides are fiat plate members which are of generally oval shape. Each side guide is pivotally mounted near the upper edge thereof as indicated at 46' so that, when the board is inserted into place, the side guide 44 pivots or swings parallel to and at one side of the path of sheet delivery from the position shown in full lines to the position shown in dot-dash lines in Fig. 2, and there is sidewise guiding of the sheets at all times during delivery. The lower edge of each side guide is rounded so that it rides smoothly on the board. The side guides guide the sheets to keep the side edges of the sheets aligned in the stack of sheets.

The spring guides 46 are opposite the sheet stop or catching devices 14 and at the rear of the stacking section of the press. Each of the spring guides includes a strip of spring metal bent to the shape shown in Fig. 2. Each spring guide is mounted on frame members 47 and 48 of the press and includes a downwardly depending spring arm 48 which can engage the rear edges of the sheets to guide the sheets into a neat pile.

In the foregoing description, details of the construction and operation of the chains 41 have not been set forth in detail as such chains may be of usual construction. Details of construction and operation of the board-holding flange members 19 may be found in my Patent No. 2,633,357 issued March 31, 1953.

In Fig. 8 is shown a sheet-catching or sheet stop de vice constructed in accordance with another embodiment of this invention. The device of Fig. 8 includes a body portion 51 which is attached to a frame member 52 of a printing press by means of a U-bolt 53. The U-bolt 53 holds the body member 51 firmly in position on the frame member 52. An upright tubular member 54 is mounted on the body 53 and serves as a guide sleeve for a vertically reciprocating rod 56. The ends of the rod 56 are firmly attached to an L-shaped sheet stop member 57 having an upright face 58 for engagement by sheets delivered by a printing press. The lower end of the member 57 is pivotally connected to a cam bar 59. The free end of the bar 59 extends through a guide member 61. The guide member 61 is firmly mounted on the body member 51 and is provided with a pair of spaced transverse guide rods 62. The guide rods 62 are on opposite sides of the bar and guide the end of the bar 59. As a board 61 is slid into place on a printing press beneath the device, the board engages the cam bar 59 to drive the sheet stop member 57 upwardly to sheet-catching position, and, when the board 61 is fully inserted to the position indicated in dot-dash lines in Fig. 8, the lower end of the member 57 rides upon the upper face of the board. If desired, the space between the guide rods 62 may be sufiicient so that, when the cam rod 59 is engaged by the edge of the board, the cam bar is raised against the under side of frame member 52 so that the free end of the cam bar is held down by the frame member 52 as the sheet stop member 57 is raised.

In Fig. 9 is shown a fragment of a sheet-catching or stopping device constructed in accordance with a further embodiment of this invention. The device of Fig. 9 includes a body portion 63 which is attached to a frame member 64 of a press by means of a U-bolt 66. The device of Fig. 9 includes a cam bar 67 which is connected or linked to the body member 63 by means of a link 68. The remainder of the device of Fig. 9 may be similar to the device shown in Fig. 8, and the remaining details of construction of the device of Fig. 9 have been omitted for this reason. As a board (not shown) is inserted into a printing press on which the device of Fig. 9 is mounted, the cam bar 67 and the link 68 swing from the position shown in full lines to the position shown in dot-dash lines, as the sheet stop member thereof is raised, and the link 68 is loaded in compression and holds down the free end of cam bar 67.

The sheet-catching or stop devices illustrated in the drawings and described above are subject to structural modification without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims. In addition, the devices are adapted to be mounted on sheet-delivering presses of various styles and constructions.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A sheet-catching device for a printing press which comprises a support adapted for attachment to the framework of the press at the sheet delivery end thereof, a sheet stop member having an upright, substantially vertical sheet catching face for arresting sheets delivered by the press, means on said support for guiding said sheet stop member for vertical reciprocation, and a sheet stop lifting member attached to the lower end of the sheet stop member, said lifting member having a cam surface on its bottom face adapted to be engaged by a sheet-holding board as the board is inserted into sheet-receiving position, to lift the lower end of the sheet stop member above the surface of the board.

2. A sheet-catching device for a printing press which comprises a support adapted for attachment to the framework of the press at the sheet-delivery end thereof, a sheet stop member having an upright, substantially vertical sheet catching face for arresting sheets delivered by the press, means on said support for guiding said sheet stop member for vertical reciprocation, a crank pivotally mounted on the support, said crank having arms disposed at an angle to one another, one of said arms being engageable with the upright sheet stop member, and another arm being engageable by a sheet-holding board as the board is inserted into sheet-receiving position, to turn the crank and thereby lift the sheet stop member when engaged by the board, the lower end of the sheet stop member being adapted to rest on the board when the board is in sheetreceiving position.

3. A sheet-catching device for a printing press which comprises a support adapted for attachment to the framework of the press at the sheet delivery end thereof, a sheet stop member having an upright, substantially vertical sheet catching face for arresting sheets delivered by the press, means on said support for guiding said sheet stop member for vertical reciprocation, a crank pivotally mounted on the support, said crank having arms disposed at an angle to one another, one of said arms being engageable with the upright sheet stop member and another arm being engageable by a sheet holding board as the board is inserted into sheet-receiving position, to turn the crank and thereby lift the sheet stop member when engaged by the board, and a cam member mounted on the lower end of the sheet stop member and having a cam surface on its bottom face-adapted to be engaged by the board as the board is inserted to lift the sheet-stop member off the crank to a position in which the lower end of the sheet stop member rests on the board.

4. A sheet-catching device for a printing press which comprises a support adapted for attachment to the framework of the press at the sheet-delivery end thereof, a sheet stop member having an upright, substantially vertical sheet catching face for arresting sheets delivered by the press, means on said support for guiding said sheet stop member for vertical reciprocation, an elongated cam bar pivotally attached to the lower end of the sheet stop member, said cam bar having a cam surface sloping upwardly and away from the pivoted end to an upper end and adapted to be engaged by a sheet-holding board as the board is inserted into sheet-receiving position, and means for holding down the upper end of the bar, whereby, when the board engages the cam surface, the sheet-stop member is lifted above the surface of the board.

5. A sheet-catching device for a printing press which comprises a support adapted for attachment to the framework of the press at the sheet-delivery end thereof, a sheet stop member having an upright, substantially vertical sheet catching face for arresting sheets delivered by the press, means on said support for guiding said sheet stop member for vertical reciprocation, an elongated cam bar pivotally attached to the lower end of the sheet stop member, said cam bar having a cam surface sloping upwardly and away from the pivoted end to an upper end and adapted to be engaged by a sheet-holding board as the board is inserted into sheet-receiving position, the cam bar being engageable with a frame member of the press when the board engages the cam surface to hold down the upper end of the bar, whereby, when the board engages the cam surface, the sheet-stop member is lifted above the surface of the board.

6. A sheet-catching device for a printing press which comprises a support adapted for attachment to the framework of the press at the sheet-delivery end thereof, a sheet stop member having an upright, substantially vertical sheet catching face for arresting sheets delivered by the press, means on said support for guiding said sheet stop member for vertical reciprocation, an elongated cam bar pivotally attached to the lower end of the sheet stop member, said cam bar having a cam surface sloping upwardly and away from the pivoted end to an upper end and adapted to be engaged by a sheet-holding board as the board is inserted into sheet-receiving position, and a compression link connecting the upper end of the cam bar to the support for holding down the upper end of the bar, whereby, when the board engages the cam surface, Itahe sheet-stop member is lifted above the surface of the oard.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,156,957 White Oct. 19, 1915 1,211,511 White Jan. 9, 1917 1,211,512 White Jan. 9, 1917 

